I haven't played any RPG'S for over 28 years, yes I am that old.
Right now I am coming from tabletop miniature gaming and would like to start playing in some RPG'S but I do not want to go down the D&D road and I found Paizo and started lurking on the boards for awhile and I was wondering where do I start. I know the new rule books is out in August but what can I read now or how do you jump back in after all these years.
Thanks for any help and I apologize if my terminology is incorrect.
Mmmm, tasty new morsel...
Wait.
Sorry, just woke up from a very long nap (long enough that I can't recognize any constellations). I'll restrain my appetite for now.
Welcome back! The RPG world has missed you (not sarcasm - I mean it - the more the merrier!).
I think you'll be hard pressed to find a better gaming system than 3.x/Pathfinder.
I say this for multiple reasons, but chief among them are ease of play and number of players in your home town who also play.
There may be better systems, but if only a few hundred people world-wide play them, it's very hard to find a group.
There may be systems with similar numbers of players (I doubt it, except maybe for 4e D&D - shudder), or that at least make a decent effort to come close, but few of those IMO are nerly as fun, easy, and rewarding for the time invested (obivously if they have so many players, then lots of players feel differently).
But 3.5/Pathfinder is still the reining king. And Pathfinder makes some great revisions that IMO improve the 3.x game but still remain close enough that you can buy any old 3.x product out of some discount gaming bin somewhere and use it with Pathfinder with little modificatino on your part.
So you've made a good choice.
Download the .pdf and read through it. Make a character or two to get a feel for them. Throw some imaginary XP on those characters and level them up a bit to get a feel for that. Read the feats and think about how you could tweak your character with them, create different versions (even if only as a mental exercise) to get a feel for it.
Won't take long to have a working knowledge of the rules. By working, I mean you'll know about 5% and can start to make sense of the big picture, and you'll know how to look up the other 95% when you need them.
Then get some buddies or find a group and give it a try. Jump in, sink or swim - you'll probably swim.
It's like riding a bicycle - you never forget.
But most of all, have fun!
And make sure to get some cookies from Lilith...
I haven't played any RPG'S for over 28 years, yes I am that old.
Right now I am coming from tabletop miniature gaming and would like to start playing in some RPG'S but I do not want to go down the D&D road and I found Paizo and started lurking on the boards for awhile and I was wondering where do I start. I know the new rule books is out in August but what can I read now or how do you jump back in after all these years.
Thanks for any help and I apologize if my terminology is incorrect.
I am a bit curious about what kind of game you are looking for.
I would generally recommend Pathfinder, but if you are looking for something significantly different than DnD, it might not be the best choice.
But like DM_Blake said, you can download the pdf, so it won't cost you anything to take a look at (although perhaps the next 28 years of your life if you get hooked:-).
Thanks DM_Blake
For the overview and advice.
Well HaraldKlak,
I really don't know what I am looking for. The last time I played in an RPG the 8 track player was the new thing and what we did back than I would not really call playing an RPG more like test driving. The group feel apart after about 3 months and thats my total experience with RPG gaming.
Since than I have picked up the occasional Dragon magazine or looked over a rules book in the store but thats it. So I am starting out fresh with no real background to compare anything.
From what I have read I think I like the story driven game to what I would call power gaming. For me its not about winning but what happens along the way that I find interesting.
I am not looking for the greatest RPG of all times (even if it was I would have no idea what I was looking at). I just want to have a good time.
I do have a question, actually I have may but one will do for now.
With the new Pathfinder rules coming out in August or the Beta that can be downloaded now will this be its own stand alone rules, from what I understand you needed Dnd 3.5 before to play Pathfinder?
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With the new Pathfinder rules coming out in August or the Beta that can be downloaded now will this be its own stand alone rules, from what I understand you needed Dnd 3.5 before to play Pathfinder?
Welcome to the boards! Pathfinder stands alone. Once the core book comes out in August it's all you'll need!
Welcome back to gaming, David, and welcome to Paizoland. I'd start by downloading all the great freebies Paizo has and marinade in them for a few days. And feel free to come back to the boards here and post your questions and comments--there's a lot of great, knowledgeable, and creative folks here willing to help you out.
As far at the subscriptions go, the AP (Adventure Path) is a fantastic read, a feast for the eyes, and a great deal. My own personal rec for a second subscription would be Planet Stories, which will probably be the next one I pick up. It's both an education in the genre and a refresher in the game's pulpy roots.
You don't really need 3.5 to start Pathfinder. In addition to downloading the Beta version of Pathfinder RPG (free), you can check out the System Reference Document for the d20 system; it's available online.
EDIT: Forgive the sub recommendations--I read your comments and assumed you were also a new customer, missing your subscription tag. Still, if you don't mind them, I certainly stand by them!
Interesting, I am in a similar boat. I played D&D in the early 1980's before there were editions (except for the basic set). Then I went to college and didn't play again at all. Only in recent years, as my kids got older, have I decided to check out fantasy RP's again. I have also played some sci-fi RP's on occasion. I have recently downloaded the beta rulebook and started reading it. But I really got interested when I started reading about the Campaign setting of Goloran (sp?) and all the supporting material. For some reason, I don't even know why exactly, I decided to check out the 3.x version instead of going straight to D&D 4.0.
I haven't played any RPG'S for over 28 years, yes I am that old.
Right now I am coming from tabletop miniature gaming and would like to start playing in some RPG'S but I do not want to go down the D&D road and I found Paizo and started lurking on the boards for awhile and I was wondering where do I start. I know the new rule books is out in August but what can I read now or how do you jump back in after all these years.
Thanks for any help and I apologize if my terminology is incorrect.
Welcome, Basilforth!
The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game was introduced as a result of the mass outcry when Wizards of the Coast, the premier D&D retailer switched to vr. 4.0. Without the details, or without stirring the schmidt-house, Paizo chose to empower their 3.5 fans by making 3.5 bigger and badder, by releasing "3.75" or The Pathfinder Roleplaying Game [PFRPG]. This is allowed due to the "Open Gaming Licence", printed in the back of WoTC material.
Paizo, being the most awesome gaming company ever, opened 3.75 to the fan base to try out ~1 yr ago. The feedback has been enormous and as a result, the official release is planned at GenCon this year. I would highly advise preordering your tome of goodness, since the printed edition of the Beta sold out extraordinarly quickly. The Beta is still a free download, so you can sink your teeth into it and other free beta downloads.
To answer your question, PFRPG in its beta form is the Player's Guide and DMG all rolled into one. It still uses the WoTC Monster Manuals, and Pathfinder references several other OGL works published by other companies. In september, after the PFRPG releases, the Beastiary will publish, containing monsters with stat blocks that work with this release. Until then, we're stuck with the monsters published in other Pathfinder volumes or WoTC or OGL material.
We are eagerly awaiting the psionics beta test that was hinted at...
As for a starting platform, download the Beta! It is chockful of delightful goodness and is quite easy to understand, an improvement over its WoTC predecessor. At the price of free, how can you go wrong? Also, get a Pathfinder Society adventure download for 4.00$. You can find the rules for the Society online, or just use other characters. The Society adventures can be scaled for different levels of PC. (They are a bit taxing on PCs from what reviews have said, so be aware of that when running them.) They are designed to run 3-4 hours, a pleasant evening.
Welcome to the boards and our...unique?...community. Beware the poodles.
-GKA
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Paizo, being the most awesome gaming company ever...
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Beware the poodles....
Lots of truth in there. Perhaps this should be added: Do not be afraid to embrace your inner ess-em-you-are-eff, when the occasion arises.
New people! Hi! *offers plates of cookies* Welcome to the boards!
If you're looking for more info on the world setting of Golarion, you can go bite-sized (the Gazetteer), meal-sized (the Campaign Setting), or super-sized (Campaign Setting, Gods & Magic, The Great Beyond). For dessert, have the "revisted" line - starting with Classic Monsters Revisited.
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Welcome David Weaver 14 and Basilforth!
One point of clarification, while you do not need the bound copies of 3.5 to utilize the Pathfinder Beta, some spells have no description in that book and refer to the 3.5 Players Handbook. Additionally, creatures are not in the Beta and in the adventures, APs, etc they are regularly referenced to the Monster Manual and other texts (though the stats are provided for those from non-core texts). That's the bad news.
The good news is you can pull pretty much all the info from the 3.5 SRD (it's free) which you can download here.
Welcome back to gaming to both of you!
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I wholeheartedly recommend jumping on the Gazetteer unless you're chomping at the bit to get into the setting, in which case: Campaign Setting all the way.
Oh yes, agreed on that point. Golarion is a very nice campaign world. I especially like the extras toward the back (planets, tech, time, weather, etc.). Definitely fills out the world concept.
Cookies! Thanks! I already have the Campaign Setting book in my hands.... Love the full-size map. Totally froobie.
New people! Hi! *offers plates of cookies* Welcome to the boards!
If you're looking for more info on the world setting of Golarion, you can go bite-sized (the Gazetteer), meal-sized (the Campaign Setting), or super-sized (Campaign Setting, Gods & Magic, The Great Beyond). For dessert, have the "revisted" line - starting with Classic Monsters Revisited.